states' behalf for all the world to see. american democracy at work. >> 16 votes for joseph r. biden. >> o'donnell: and why the president-elect plans to address the nation. also tonight, after a commentator says the future first lady shouldn't be called dr. jill biden, the message tonight from michelle obama. the federal government hacked, so large it's unclear just how many secrets were stolen. the months-long effort to infiltrate the u.s., and why all signs point to russia. millions brace for a giant winter storm, with up to two feet of snow. the timeline tonight for when and where it will all hit. and as the world celebrates the long awaited coronavirus vaccine, a look tonight at how far all of us have come together. this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital.

>> o'donnell: good evening, and thank you for joining us. ten months ago, it was a medical moon shot. tonight, it's america's best shot. after a day of inoculations and celebrations tonight at hospitals across the country, frontline doctors and nurses are lining up to receive the vaccine approved to stop the spread of coronavirus, the last stop in a carefully choreographed logistics operation rivaling a modern day normandy invasion. but today's historic moment comes at yet another horrific milestone in the pandemic. as we come on the air tonight, more than 300,000 americans have now been killed by the virus. each a person with a name and a story and loved ones left behind, and with about 200,000 people now being infected in the u.s. every single day, and i.c.u. beds already filled at hospitals nationwide, experts warn many more people will die before they ever get their shot to take the vaccine next year. now, those dire warnings are pushing cities and states to consider drastic new rules,

including in new york city, where the mayor says they are on the verge of a full shutdown. and if all of that weren't historic enough, there's more breaking news tonight. attorney general bill barr has just resigned. and the electoral college has made november's results official, electing joe biden the 46th president of the united states. so we have a lot of new reporting tonight for you and your family. our team is covering it all. cbs' mola lenghi going to lead off our coverage tonight from new york city. good evening, mola. >> reporter: well, good evening, norah. n.y.u. langone health is among 45 hospitals nationwide to get the initial dose to have vaccine they have wasted no time vaccinating frontline healthcare workers who say they're eager to get the shot. one doctor telling me they're spent this entire pandemic helping people, running towards those suffering and now they're leading the way again, running towards the vaccine, they say,

in the hoped of showing people that it's safe. at n.y.u.'s langone health hospital, it was a shot of relief. >> i woke up today, i was thrilled. >> reporter: nationwide frontline workers lined up to get their first dose. critical care nurse sandra lindsay, at long island jewish medical center, got hers after 9:00 a.m. making her the first first in the country to receive the authorized vaccine. >> i hope this marks the beginning to the end of a very painful time in our history. >> reporter: across the nation the first 500,000 doses were delivered and carted into subzero freezers. from madison, wisconsin. >> it's important because so many people have died. >> reporter: into the arms of frontline workers at oxner medical center in louisiana. in hartford, connecticut. some at the university of pittsburgh medical center were overcome with emotion. >> i think it's just knowing finally something good has happened in this year and i am going to be the first person to

to be the recipient of it. >> reporter: the 2.9 million pfizer dozes roll out this week, 2.9 additional next week and 20 million in the year. it will take five weeks for the first phase to be completed. >> enough vaccines already purchased to make sure we meet our goal to vaccinating every american who wants it by the end of the second quarter of 2021. >> reporter: 3 million residents in nursing homes were supposed to get their shots. nearly 40% of deaths have occurred in those facilities. but cbs learned the trump administration delayed vaccines working with the nursing homes working with pharmacy partners like cvs until december 31 due to consent issues. but consent was no issue for the doctors and nurses. for da wut n.y.u. langone health, it's a prescription to get back to normal.

>> i haven't hugged my mom in a year, and i think that is the one thing that i was so looking forward to. >> reporter: mola lenghi, cbs news new york. >> and that's the first kentucky vaccination. >> reporter: i'm kris van cleave in louisville, kentucky. the coronavirus vaccine going into the arm of nurse lashawn scott marks the end of a journey that started 24 hours earlier. >> i know we still have a long road ahead of us, but i can see that light at the end of the tunnel now. >> reporter: the box of 975 doses of vaccine for the university of louisville hospital was among the first 150 to be packed and filled with 50 pounds of dry ice to keep the vials at negative 94 degrees, then loaded on a semi and an hour later onboard u.p.s. flight 3477 to louisville. >> every package is a person we always say, and in this incidence it's a life-saving vaccine to make a difference in make a difference in someone's life. >> reporter: those life-saving packages passed through u.p.s.'s world port sorting facility and loaded on to overnight flights. >> we're launching a very

complex nationwide distribution program. there are going to be hitches and hiccups as we go. >> reporter: the boxes are equipped with g.p.s. and temperature tracking. the entire process is monitored in real time from u.p.s.'s covid u.p.s.'s covid commander center. >> as soon as that box arrives in this facility or any of our facilities around the country, we can find it within ten feet. >> reporter: in dallas, delivery was personal for driver paul pieroni. just three weeks ago he lost a relative to covid. >> it impacts all of us. so let's let the healing begin. >> reporter: u.p.s. and fed ex tell us they made their first day of vaccine deliveries on or ahead of schedule and are already filling up airspace like this one with tomorrow's vaccine deliveries. but one of the challenges will be managing expectations. walgreen's canceled a planned vaccination event in michigan today because their batch of vaccine hadn't shipped yet. norah. >> o'donnell: all right, kris van cleave, thank you.

the u.s. has set records for covid hospitalizations, eight days in a row, and across the country the number of patients needing intensive care is up nearly 80% from a month ago. we get more now from cbs's jonathan vigliotti. >> reporter: tonight, the pandemic shattering records and taking lives. in los angeles county alone, new covid cases are up 370% in just one month. >> with the increasing numbers even several weeks ago, it was only a matter of time. >> reporter: cases have catapulted around california, more than 30,000 per day. in the state's central valley, there are no i.c.u. beds left. >> a little bit of bruising. >> reporter: infectious disease doctor dana hawkinson at the university of kansas health system is not only juggling an onslaught of new patients, but fewer staffers. today alone about 270 employees called out sick either infected or in quarantine, as other states are calling to transfer another 1,200 patients to his

team. >> and this is because rural areas, which can be hit hard and have lower resources, just don't have the room or the capacity. >> reporter: new jersey's governor warns the next few weeks are going to be hell. the state now has the highest covid death rate in the nation. and a dire warning from new york city mayor bill de blasio. he says a full shutdown may be imminent as cases there continue to spike. >> what is increasingly clear is that all forms and restrictions have to be on the table at this point. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci says life may not be fully normal again until late next year. >> the vaccine right now is not a substitute for the normal standard public health measures of wearing a mask, keeping your distance. >> reporter: 86-year-old david childress among those who recently lost their battle with covid. the retired firefighter and father of five was able to spend his final moments in the hospital with his wife of 66 years, judy. >> so many families don't get to

do that. i was blessed. i was just so blessed. >> reporter: and as the heartbreak continues, hospitals are dealing with the surge. here at st. john's in santa monica, they've actually built tents for covid patients in their own parking lot. tonight across america, millions of americans living near hospitals that are running out of space. norah. >> o'donnell: in the parking lot, jonathan vigliotti, thank you. tonight, president-elect joe biden is set to address the nation after he was officially elected by the electoral college. what is usually a formality took on extra importance this year and tonight we're hearing from republican lawmakers who for the first time are recognizing the next administration. cbs' nikole killion joins us from wilmington, delaware. good evening, nikole. >> reporter: good evening, norah. now that the president-elect has secured enough electoral votes, he will address the american people tonight and cbs news learned he will say neither the pandemic nor an abuse of power

could change the people's will. >> ayes, 55. no's zero. ( cheers and applause ) >> reporter: president-elect joe biden officially sealed his win as the state of california pushed him over the top fulfilling their constitutional duty electors certified state in state capitols. >> i have nine votes cast for donald j. trump. >> reporter: school gymnasiums. >> the electors completed their business. >> and zoom. >> please hold up only your ballot. >> reporter: presidents and politicians among those casting ballots. >> i am pleased to announce joseph r. biden received 16 votes for the president of the united states. >> reporter: in michigan, legislative offices were closed based on credible threats of violence, and state police had to block a group of pro-trump supporters from entering the capitol. wisconsin supreme court rejected another legal challenge from the trump campaign one hour before the state's electors convened. >> i worry about the country having an illegitimate

president, that's what i worry about. >> reporter: and president trump refused to back down, unveiling new campaign ads with fraudulent claims. >> some states rushed out mail- in ballots, a recipe for fraud. dead people voted. ballots miraculously appeared. biden ballots added in the middle of th night. >> reporter: while advisors drew a new line in the sand. >> the only date in the constitution is january 20. so we have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election result. >> reporter: but even some republicans are calling on the president to accept defeat. >> once the electoral college settles the issue today, it's time for everybody to move on. >> reporter: meanwhile, dr. jill biden is getting support from michelle obama after a former northwestern professor writing in the "wall street journal" urged the future first lady to drop her title saying it sounds and feels fraudulent. the former first lady said of dr. biden, who has a doctorate in education, all too often our accomplishments are met with

script simple, even derision. tomorrow, president-elect biden heads to georgia to rally democrats in two critical special elections that will decide control of the senate. early voting started there today. norah. >> o'donnell: nikole killion, thank you. and cbs news will carry president-elect joe biden's address live, he is expected to speak around 7:30 eastern there is more breaking news from washington. attorney general william barr is stepping down. president trump announced the move after days of attacking barr for his refusal to back false claims of election fraud. weijia jiang joins us from the white house. good evening, weijia. >> reporter: good evening, norah. president trump made the announcement in a tweet just minutes after the electoral college sealed the win for president-elect joe biden. the white house insists the president did not ask for barr's barr's resignation and he was not forced out. speculation over his departure started building earlier this

earlier this month after he said in an interview the justice department had not discovered evidence of widespread fraud that could change the election, a direct contradiction of trump's claims. cbs news learned president trump told barr he was unhappy about the remarks and refused to publicly say he still had confidence in the a.g. still, barr's resignation letter is packed with high praise of the president and what he describes as unprecedented achievements. when he leaves on the 23rd, barr's deputy will become the acting attorney general. norah. >> o'donnell: another leader leaving early. all right, weijia jiang, thank you. tonight security experts are scrambling to assess damage after hackers breached sensitive computers as the intrusion went undetected for months. we get more now from cbs news' catherine herridge. >> reporter: are not sure how

many government agencies are compromised. evidence points to vladimir putin's government being behind the attack. does the hack have the signature of russian intelligence? >> this looks like the russians. it was skillful, targeted, a dance. >> reporter: the espionage campaign breached secure networks at the treasury and commerce departments and possibly homeland security, as part of a months-long effort to infiltrate u.s. agencies and private businesses. the hackers exploited solar winds, a software program used to monitor computer networks potentially affecting 18,000 companies and government agencies. this march, hackers latched on to a security update to burrow in. chris krebs, fired last month as the head of the government's cyber security agency called it, "a pretty large-scale hack." >> reporter: what makes it stand out is the breadth and the depth of the attack which means they could get into their email, they

could see the type of data those individuals had access to. >> reporter: the hackers are said to be russian affiliated group known as "cozy bear," bear," which stands accused of breaching democratic party computer data in attacks tied to the 2016 election and more recently trying to steal covid-19 vaccine research. what does the u.s. government need to do to deter russia? >> we're going to need to push back a lot harder and that probably means some kind of cyber warfare. >> reporter: tonight government officials tell cbs news the defense department is evaluating the impact on networks and could eliminate possible damage from the hack. >> o'donnell: much more ahead on tonight's "cbs evening news." millions in the east brace for a dangerous nor'easter. new details on how much snow could fall. calling--

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>> o'donnell: winter doesn't officially arrive until next week, but nearly 50 million americans are under winter storm watches tonight from southern virginia to boston. let's get the forecast now from cbs's lonnie quinn. hey there, lonnie. >> reporter: hey, norah. well, the storm you're referring to isn't close to new york city right now, but wednesday it will be here.

right now if you look at the maps, it's around colorado now, and it's not much of a storm at all. it's going to get its act together. the computer model show it moving through nebraska and oklahoma tomorrow with snow. still not a big story till it taps into is it atlantic coast and starts pulling in moisture and starts blowing up. but how close the low pressure system is the storm itself to the shore, the numbers i say will put big numbers down for pennsylvania on the i-81 corridor no matter what, 16-24 inches, maybe over two feet in two feet in some spots. from philadelphia, new york to providence, five inches. right outside the city, 15-20 miles, a foot or more, maybe up to 16 inches of snow. and last year in new york city we had nothing. could be two or three times that tomorrow. for you in d.c. maybe 1-3. more rain for you. >> o'donnell: everyone looking for the snow. lonnie quinn, thank you. and when we come back, how far we've come since the beginning

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won. after grueling months of research and hard work, american innovation won. but this is not the end, it's just the beginning. it's the beginning of a new phase of american life. it's the beginning of the most ambitious vaccination program in history. it's the beginning of the end of this pandemic. but we can't let our guard down now. in less than a year, we've lost 300,000 americans. mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, neighbors and friends. so as we see our nurses, our doctors, get a vaccine that will make them a little less scared to go into work each day, and our older loved ones lonely, getting one step closer to seeing the family they hold dear, let's remember a phrase popular at the beginning of the pandemic, "we're all in this together." because there is truly more that unites us than divides us. we all want to get back our normal lives. we all want our children back in the classroom.

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dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help. >> o'donnell: on tomorrow's "cbs evening news," the nine-year-old girl struggling to make sense to have the pandemic by watching the news. that's tonight's "cbs evening news," i'm norah o'donnell. good night.

capt >> announcer: this is the "cbs overnight news." i'm catherine herridge in washington, thanks for staying with us. the first covid-19 vaccinations are under way across the country, first doses to frontline health care workers and those who live and work in long-term care facilities. rest of us have to wait. big fapharmacies, a story from troy, michigan, right side detroit. >> reporter: cbs and walgreens have made agreement with the federal government to pick up

the baton now and distribute the vaccine to high priority groups across the country but it is happening so quickly, there's confusion when the most vulnerab vulnerable groups will get the vaccine, and emergency staff and residents among that group. >> can't happen a day too soon. >> head of genesis, one of the largest nursing home operators. working with cvs to get nursing home residents and staff at more than 300 facilities nationwide vaccinated. tell us how you're coordinating with cvs to get vaccines to all of your people. >> cvs's job is coordination. >> reporter: on "face the nation" alex azar said as soon

as the vaccines are received this week, they can be administered. but cbs news obtained two documents from operation warp speed, the federal government's vaccine program, they make it clear they can only be administered after december 21st, a week from today. dr. scott gottlieb suggested sunday it's likely because they didn't obtain consent in advance from nursing home residents or families to be vaccinated. >> very costly delay, 50,000 new infections in nursing homes every week right now, probably more than that. >> reporter: more than 76,000 residents in long-term care facilities have died from covid-19 and staff members. >> we trust the supplies are getting out quickly. >> reporter: some see cvs and walgreens r